Idaho Defends Fairness in Women’s Sports Act at U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Little v. Hecox, Idaho's landmark case defending the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, the first-in-the-nation law protecting female athletes from competing against biological males.

Idaho Solicitor General Alan Hurst argued before the nine justices, defending the state's authority to maintain sex-separated athletics based on biological reality. The oral arguments focused on whether Idaho's law violates the Equal Protection Clause and how courts should review state policies that distinguish between male and female athletes.

"More than five years after Idaho passed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, Idaho had its day in front of the highest court in the nation," said Attorney General Labrador. "My hope is that the Court will affirm common-sense protections that ensure women's spaces and sports remain fair, safe, and dedicated to empowering female athletes."

"I commend Attorney General Labrador and his office for their strong defense of Idaho's commonsense law before the U.S. Supreme Court. It was an honor to sit inside the court room and witness Idaho leading the nation in protecting fairness in women's sports," said Senator Risch. "Title IX was created to expand opportunities for women. Idaho's law upholds those rights, and I am confident the Court will come to the same conclusion."

Idaho enacted the Fairness in Women's Sports Act in 2020 as the nation's first law preventing biological males from competing in women's athletics. The legislation requires that athletic teams designated for females be based on biological sex at birth. The ACLU sued and the lower courts blocked Idaho from enforcing the law from day one.

When Attorney General Labrador took office in January 2023, he made defending the law a top priority and appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court agreed to hear Idaho's case in July 2025 alongside a similar case from West Virginia.

Senator Risch has been working at the federal level on this issue, introducing legislation to protect women's sports nationwide and supporting Idaho's Supreme Court case with an amicus brief.